Verbena plant named ‘Duemprialbu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Duemprialbu’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large deep purple-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPRIALBU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duemprialbu’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous Verbena plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2010 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V09-3937-002, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V08-5525-002, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duemprialbu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duemprialbu’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large deep purple-colored flowers; flowers held above and         beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have burgundy-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Verbena are more freely branching than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have burgundy-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘Lan Roypureye’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,610. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact than plants of         ‘Lan Roypureye’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Lan Roypureye’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Verbena did not have a distinct         center whereas flowers of plants of ‘Lan Roypureye’ had distinct         centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duemprialbu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Duemprialbu’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number V09-3937-002, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number V08-5525-002, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit;             freely branching habit with about eleven primary lateral             branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 36 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 15.4 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; venation, close to 147D. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 147D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.3 mm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;             numerous umbels per plant; flowers face upward or outwardly             depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit             with about twelve flowers per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9.2 mm. Diameter: About 2.9 mm.             Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: Close to 137B.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform, five-parted fused corolla.             Diameter: About 2.3 cm. Depth: About 3 cm. Throat diameter:             About 2 mm. Tube length: About 1.3 cm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 10 mm. Petal lobe width: About             8.8 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:             Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal lobe,             when opening, upper surface: Close to 79A. Petal lobe, when             opening, lower surface: Close to 83A. Petal lobe, fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 79A; color becoming closer             to 88A with development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 83B. Throat: Close to 145C. Tube: Close to             145D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused             sepals. Sepal length: About 1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm.             Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,             coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             About four to five per flower, adnate to corolla tube.             Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther             color: Close to 144C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 1.6 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.4 cm. Style color:             Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits and seeds:             Fruit and seed development has not been observed on plants             of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Duemprialbu’ as illustrated and described. 